Due to health risks, the intensively used plant protection product Chlorpyrifos will be banned throughout Europe from the end of January. This is also good news for German consumers. Although the insecticide has not been used for a long time in Germany, it has recently been detected on imported oranges, tangerines or grapefruit.
The majority of EU member states approved on Friday the proposal to stop accepting the funds. It is intended to combat pests in agriculture, but is suspected of damaging genetic material and nerves in children. Eight years ago, scientists in a long-term study concluded that even small amounts of chlorpyrifos negatively affect the development of the baby's womb brain (read more here).
Germany voted in favor of the ban in the competent expert panel. According to official data, no products with the active ingredient have been on the market in Germany since 2011.
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Also banned is the variant Chlorpyrifos-Methyl, as confirmed by the EU Commission. This is based on evaluations by the European Food Authority Efsa, which confirmed possible risks to human health. The EU Commission had therefore proposed not to renew the end of January expiring approval.
"The Chlorpyrifos ban is long overdue Citrus fruits and all other foods must finally be free of this brain-damaging nerve poison," said Harald Ebener, a member of the Greens in the Bundestag, the SPIEGEL. Chlorpyrifos should never have been granted EU approval, as the indications of danger would have existed back then in 2006, but were overlooked by the regulatory authorities, Ebener said.
Once the decision is formalized in January, all EU countries are required to withdraw approval for the two chemicals. Thereafter, they may grant a transition period for use, storage or disposal of a maximum of three months.
Ebner now calls for an EU-wide import ban on mandarins, oranges and other foods containing chlorpyrifos residues. "If Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner is really serious, Germany must now also campaign for a global ban of poison."
